ENGLISH
REFERENCE

california

n. uncountable
A1 Beginner US //ˌkæɫəˈfɔɹnjə// cal·i·for·nia Archaic

n. a large state on the west coast of the United States. It is famous for its warm weather, beaches, and the movie industry in Hollywood.

n. a state located on the Pacific coast of the United States, bordered by Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, and the Mexican state of Baja California. It is the most populous state in the union and a global center for technology and entertainment.


SIMPLE

Many people visit California to see the Golden Gate Bridge.

CONTEXTUAL

The tech industry in California attracts thousands of engineers and entrepreneurs to Silicon Valley every year.

COMPLEX

As the world's fifth-largest economy by GDP, California exerts significant influence over global environmental standards and digital privacy regulations through its robust legislative framework.

Synonyms
Origin

Probably Spanish after California, a Utopian island of the Amazons described in Las sergas de Esplandián, a 16th-century Spanish novel. The name comes from the fictional island's Muslim-allied queen, Calafia, whose name may be a play on Arabic خَلِيفَة (ḵalīfa, “caliph”). For more information see: Etymology of California.

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